The invention relates generally to metal cutting and welding systems, and more particularly control for plasma cutting systems.
A plasma cutting system creates plasma (e.g., high temperature ionized gas) to cut metal or other electrically conductive material. In general, an electrical arc converts a gas (e.g., compressed air) into plasma, which is sufficiently hot to melt the work piece while the pressure of the gas blows away the molten metal. The power output and flow of the gas can affect the performance of the system. Unfortunately, the control for plasma cutting systems is generally limited, and users often manually adjust parameters based on experience and their own visualization of the cutting process.
In many systems, including the plasma cutting system, a compressor (e.g., standalone compressor) is used to supply a compressed gas (e.g., air). In such systems, the compressor may be driven by a motor having its own power converter. The motor power converter may be controlled by a controller chip or other circuit. Unfortunately, this adds cost, complexity and size to the system with limited control functions.